Cong asks Sanjay Nirupam to explain articles in party journal slamming Nehru and terming Sonia's father a 'fascist soldier'

New Delhi: Mumbai Congress chief Sanjay Nirupam appears to be in for trouble with the party high command seeking an explanation from him over the issue of articles in a party journal slamming Jawaharlal Nehru and terming Sonia Gandhi's father a "fascist soldier".

The Disciplinary Action Committee of AICC headed by senior leader AK Antony has issued a show-cause notice to Nirupam in the wake of the controversy. Committee sources said that Nirupam has been asked to respond within a few days over the articles in the magazine 'Congress Darshan'.

Sanjay Nirupam. AFP

Ghulam Nabi Azad and Sushilkumar Shinde are members of the committee while Motilal Vora is its member-secretary.

An embarrassed Congress had last month distanced itself from its "defunct" mouthpiece in Mumbai as some articles in it criticised Nehru's Kashmir policy and alleged that Sonia's father was a "fascist soldier".

Miffed with the editorial, the party had forced its editor and Nirupam to apologise for the gaffe. Sudhir Joshi, who looked after its editorial content, was sacked from the job. An unsigned write-up in the Mumbai unit's journal, coinciding with the party's 131st foundation day, had blamed Nehru for "the state of affairs in Kashmir, China and Tibet" even as another article made controversial remarks about Sonia.

Nirupam had later said that he was unaware of the content that had been published in the said edition. Recently, some Mumbai Congress leaders, including AICC General Secretary Gurudas Kamat, had met Sonia and complained about the matter.

Washing its hands of the journal, Congress had earlier said that the party had appointed Nirupam as MRCC chief and not editor of any magazine. Soon after the controversy broke, there had been murmurs questioning Nirupam's "intention". A former Shiv Sainik, Nirupam rose fast through Congress ranks after joining the party.